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A good starter phone for kids
- Good parental controls
- Simple to use
- Geared to kids 8 to 12
- Too limiting for older kids
- Durability complaints
- Not many options
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Average Customer Review
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Search Reviews |
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE!!!!!!, October 3, 2009i bought this phone for my daughter for when she had sleepovers and school functions. However i thought i was safe with the pay as you go... we bought a $10.00 card for her, and used it a few times... still… had a balance, however the fine print said that it uses $.35 per day if you use the phone or NOT. Thus sucked up our $10.00. When I called to place money on the card a couple of months later, found out that since we have not used the phone in over 30 days, and the account had a balance of 0 for 30 days, we had to buy a new sim card costing $9.95 plus pay for extra minutes. This IS NOT WORTH IT! You are better off adding a family line at $9.95 a month, and using your AT&T or T-mobile sim card and plan. PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME like i did! Also their customer service SUCKS... For a plan designed for kids, the service is designed to trap you to keep pouring money into their account, not as an alternative family friendly phone for kids.
GREAT BUY!, June 1, 2009I bought this phone for my 7 year old nephew! I am very happy with it, it only allows him to call his mom and dad and in this day in age with all the crime out there! We feel safe knowing our nephew can… call if he needs HELP! I recommend it to anyone that has children! It is inexpensive and you pay as you go! The phone was received in excellent condition and works wonderfully!
Can not order service via secure web site, April 15, 2009Perfect service when added to your AT&T plan. Great starter phone., March 26, 2009I've read horrible reviews about the service on these things. Let me start by saying my son was given this phone on his 5th birthday at the end of December. My son's father and I share him between our… houses, and this has been a fabulous way for us to "keep in touch" with him. It allows us to have instant access to our child when away. Moreover, it has taught him to learn some responsibility for things that are his prior to him beginning Kindergarten. He has a small backpack that he carries between our houses. He knows that he is responsible for making sure his phone is in his backback, with the charger, and a few other items he likes to take between houses. He loves the added responsibility. His father and I both love that we don't always have to go through each other to speak to our son. My son has NEVER had service problems, however, the phone has been added to my AT&T family plan. He gets the same service as my iphone and my husband's Blackberry. I think having a phone with pre-paid minutes and a small time carrier would definitely be a nightmare. The phone HAS been dropped on my tile multiple times in my son's three months of use. However, the phone is in good working condition. Moreover, my son knows that if the phone breaks, or he loses it, he will have to wait exactly one month for us to replace it, and he will have to do extra chores around the house to compensate for the cost. This has been a great experience for all of us.
It works with our AT&T sim card!, December 21, 2008We bought this from Wal Mart as a pre-paid phone for $48.88. We simply put my son's sim card into it from his existing AT&T cell phone and it works like a charm. Entering phone numbers was a breeze and I… could not be happier that we did not have to update our AT&T contract for another 2 years to get this phone. I have wanted a Firefly phone for my son for almost 2 years and I am thrilled it is back on the market and UNLOCKED!
Our Sources
1. CNET
CNET tests the glowPhone and finds its lack of features troubling -- it can receive but not send text messages, for instance. Bottom line: "If you can find a child willing to use it, the Firefly GlowPhone is a decent cell phone for keeping in touch with your brood."
Review: Firefly GlowPhone (Pink), Kent German, July 24, 2008
2. PCMag.com
PCMag.com editors say the Firefly glowPhone is best for younger children. Testing reveals that durability might be a problem, however. "While it's not the best voice phone out there, it does provide restricted calling, and it's extremely inexpensive," McLaughlin writes.
Review: Tech for Tots, Molly K. McLaughlin, Oct. 3, 2007
3. PCMag.com
PCMag.com's Sascha Segan recommends the Firefly glowPhone in this video review, but he notes the phone has speed-dial buttons with mommy and daddy icons, which may be a source of discomfort for children whose family is not structured that way.
Review: Firefly glowPhone and flyPhone Video Review, Sascha Segan, Oct. 16, 2007
4. Amazon.com
The Firefly glowPhone (pink) gets a small number of user reviews, most rating it three stars or less out of five. Complaints are about poor customer service and hidden fees. Some recommend it as a good emergency phone.
Review: Firefly Mobile glowPhone -- Pink, Contributors to Amazon.com
Consumer Reports rates cell phones but not cell phones geared specifically for children. This free report addresses things parents should consider when buying any cell phone for kids, and it briefly reviews a previous version of the Firefly cell phone.
Review: Straight Talk on Cell Phones for Children, Editors of ConsumerReports.org, Feb. 2006
6. About.com
Dr. Vincent Iannelli, About.com's guide to pediatrics, discusses the pros and cons of buying a cell phone for your child and mentions an unspecified Firefly model. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Review: Kids and Cell Phones, Dr. Vincent Iannelli, Feb. 1, 2009
There are about 10 reviews of the black Firefly glowPhone, and roughly 15 reviews of the pink model. Most are positive, but negative and positive reviews bemoan the lack of text messaging and camera. All the reviews were originally posted on ToysRUs.com, but because the store no longer sells this phone, the reviews have since been taken down.
